ife.

"My bird, my bird," she moaned. That was all she could say.

She refused at first to get up and be dressed. Then, with an idea
perhaps that if she did so she would be more independent than if staying
in bed, with papa and mamma and Martin and everybody coming to talk to
her, and try to comfort her, she slowly got out of bed and let Martin
dress her. But when it came to saying her prayers, she altogether
refused to do so, and on this point there was no getting her to give in.
She did not refuse to eat her breakfast, because she had sense enough to
know that sooner or later she would be obliged to eat, but the moment it
was swallowed, she took her little chair and seated herself in the
corner of the nursery, her face to the wall, crying, crying steadily,
and hopelessly, turning like a little fury upon any one who ventured to
speak to her, only moaning out from time to time--

"My bird, oh my bird!"

They were all very sorry for her. Maudie's tears and those of the little
boys had flowed freely when the sad story was first told to them; they
had all rushed to Hoodie to try to kiss and comfort her. But her extreme
crossness, or what any way looked like it to them, sent them away
puzzled and hurt. Hoodie's mother had proposed that the little girl
should spend the whole day down-stairs with her, have dinner at the
dining-room luncheon, and go a drive in the afternoon, but to all this
Hoodie only replied by a determined shake of the head, as well as to her
father's offer of a new bird, or two if she liked, the prettiest that
could be bought.

So they were all really at their wits' end.

It was very sad, but one must also allow that it was very tiresome.
Martin began to fear that the child would really make herself ill, and
as was Martin's "way," her anxiety began to make her rather cross.

"I wish Miss King had never put it into the child's head to have a pet
bird," she muttered to herself as she was washing up the tea-things that
evening, glancing at Hoodie's disconsolate figure still in the corner of
the nursery. "Miss King may be all very well and kind, but she's no
knowledge of children, how should she have any? I think it's much best
to leave children to them that understands them; though indeed as for
any one's understanding Miss Hoodie----!"

Fortunately it did not occur to Hoodie to make any objection to going to
bed, and it was a relief to every one to know of her being there and
safely asleep, "forgett